Used Car Prices Australia

It is very difficult to be objective when discussing about used car prices Australia wide. Everyone has a different experience and different preferences.

And the prices can vary by states and cities too.

Probably the only factual information is this: if you buy a brand new car you can lose about 20% to 30% of its value within 2 years.

You actually lose a whopping amount just when you leave the driveway of the dealership.

So you might be better off choosing good used cars rather than new ones.

As a new expat in Australia, buying a second hand car is your best option. You are getting more value for your dollars at a time when you need to save rather than spend. Plus you are just entering the market. You can upgrade to a new car later.

Keep in mind the basic factors that influence the price of a used car when you start doing your research:

• year of build,


• mileage,


• brand,


• service history and maintenance,


• looks,


• reputation of the car manufacturer.

Used Car Prices Australia, How to Do Your Research

Here are some tips to help you understand more about Australian cars and their prices:

• Visit car websites such as Carsguide Australia - www.carsguide.com.au and Trading Post Australia www.tradingpost.com.au. With the latter you will find various other classifieds for your home needs.


• Check the classifieds section of your local newspaper to get a feel for the private sales in your area.


• Once you get the big picture, narrow down your research to the brand, mileage or price you feel comfortable with.


• Then visit several car dealerships and do a test drive or more before committing. If you decide to purchase from a dealer, try to wait till the end of the month, when the pressure to achieve sales targets is higher - you might negotiate a better deal.


• June is the best month to buy a car. It is the financial year end with bargains galore.


• January is another good month, as dealers try to get rid of the previous year stock.

Our Experience

Based on our own observations and experience and on discussions with our friends and contacts these are our conclusions:

• Toyotas tend to be more reliable and maintain their value better, which means you pay more when you buy but can also re-sell them at a better price;


• Holden and Ford come second in terms of resale value;


• Mitsubishi are a bit cheaper and depreciate their value quicker;


• low mileage European cars are more expensive to buy and maintain and take longer to re-sell when their mileage is high.

We visited several of the Sydney car auctions places and bought our first car at one of them for $4500. It was not on our short list but proved to be good value.

We bought two more privately. One was cheap and bad so we got rid of it quickly. The other was a 10 year old model with very low mileage and very well maintained. As per the ad, it had a lady owner who used it only for shopping around the corner. Quite a good buy.

Then we purchased a 2 year old model from a dealer, more expensive but better.

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